The One Who Stayed
by priestess-kisa
Summary: When kagome Higurashi moves into a new house so her family can be closer to her grandfather she never expected to meet a ghost.
1. In the Library

**Kagome Higurashi stood quietly in an empty room. Purple walls and white carpet obsorbed the silence and echoed it back to her. She was standing in her bedroom. There were no pictures decorating the walls, no sturdy wooden desk to do her homework on. There wasn't even an unmade bed upon which she could sleep. This was for the pure and simple reason that she was moving. After a long talk her mother had told she and her brother, Sota that they would be moving. Kagome's grandfather ran and took residence at her family's shrine. As the title 'Grandfather' emplied, he was old and her mother feared that in the near future he would need more than just a helping hand to keep the Higurashi Shrine up and running. So, being the naturally kind and caring person that Kagome's mother was, she decided that it was best to move to a home that was considered more suitable for assisting her granfather. **

**She could by no means say that she wanted to move. She still believed with all of her heart that her grandfather was healthy as an ox and quite capable of caring for himself, but she would do it for her mother. Her mother cared for her family deeply, and that included those outisde of the emidiate family circle. **

**"Kagome?" Her mother called. "It's time to go, honey"**

**"Yes Mama!" she called back half-heartedly. If there was only some other way that she could help her grandfather, anything but what she was doing now.**

**At the sound of the engine of her mother's car roaring to life, she whiped her eyes and hurried out into the hall and out the front door. This house was no her house anymore. It was not her home. She was going to have a new house and a new home. Nothing could ever be as good as living in the house she was leaving, but just maybe she could be happy wherever they were going now. After all, it still in the same city. It wasn't as if she had to start every aspect of her life over.**

**The car ride, thankfully, was not long. The house was all the way on the other side of town, but that meant only a half an hour's drive. Kagome's little brother, Sota, sat quietly on the other side of the car staring out of the window. It surprised Kagome that he wasn't very upset about moving. He had some friends, but she suspected that they bullied him. Perhaps her brother's lack of a reaction brought meaning to her earlier specualtions?**

**While pondering these thoughts, Kagome felt the car suddenly stop. Without her knowing it, her family had arrived at their destination. With little interest, Kagome removed herself from the car and looked up at her new home. It was tall and white. It appeared very plain to her. There were no flowers in the garden, and the wood on the front door looked as if a stray cat had recently been using it as a scratching post.  
"Kagome, what do you think?" Her mother asked excitedly as she placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. **

**"It's nice, Mama." Kagome said quietly. In all truth, she did not believe the house was nice. It looked like it needed work. The windows were old. From her point of view it looked as though someone looking out from the inside would not be able to see anything. The "white" paint of the house was peeling at a rapid pace, and weeds littered the yard here and there. The bushes in front of the porch looked as though they couldn't even be called bushes. There was just nothing quite right about this house. Everything seemed to be wrong with it, everything. She could not imagine what could have possesed her mother to purchase such a house as this. Sure, it was. indeed, close to her grandfather's shrine. It was probably as close as they could get without actually living with him.**

**"Kagome," she heard her mother call once more. "Why don't you and Sota go and pick out your new rooms. I'm sure you can find one that you like." **

**Nodding her silent approving and mumbling a hardly understandble, "Yeah" Kagome made her way up the steps leading to the house and pushed open the front door. It was unlocked. It surprised her a little bit. She assumed that her mother had unlocked the door when she wasn't paying attention. Discarding her thoughts, she walked blindly about the house, not focusing on a certain placeas a destination. **

**The living room was the room which the front door lead into to. There were windows on either side of the small wooden door. On the left living room wall were as set of sliding doors that she guessed lead to the kitchen. Fidning no interest there, she moved on to the room adjoining the living room. It seemed to be a miniature library. She smiled at this. She loved to read and on the shelves the room housed were a variety of different books. She couldn't imagine why the previous owner would have left all of their precious books behind when her or she had moved away. If they were going to leave something such as books, why leave the furniture as well? Surely the volumes lining the library shelves were more important than a cushion on which they could sit.**

**The library was very small, and unlike the living room, had wooden walls. It was a dark brown color, with the ocassional fleck of red. The room had one window which was located on the side of the house. The view was rather undesirable because the only thing one could see when looking forth from it was a giant hedge-bush that served as a fence between her house and the next. **

**A sudden noise from behind her startled Kagome out of her thoughts and she shied away from the window. There, standing almost flat against the wall opposite of her, was a boy. At least, Kagome thought it was a boy. It was hard for her to see him, but she was almost positive he was there. He looked to be almost invisible. It was like she could only see his outline, but that still wasn't quite it. He was...see through? Cautiously she reached her hand out to touch him, but, as always, a call from her mother interupted her. With a sideways glance to where she knew the boy still stood, she left the room. **


	2. Labels and Ghost Boys

**Kagome sat the coffee table which had been placed in front of the couch. The dining table hadn't been cleaned up yet, so her mother had told her to eat wherever she wanted. Unlike most young girls, she had not chosen to eat in her room. She didn't have a room. Despite her mother's earlier request in the day that she pick one out, she hadn't. Her brother Sota, had eagerly called dibs on an upstairs room directly across from the bathroom. He claimed his choice was based upon the fact that it took Kagome three hours to get ready every morning so that he needed the advantage. He'd smiled and laughed at the torturous look she had given him. She knew herself better than anyone did and she did not spend three hours in the bathroom each morning. Maybe a good twenty minutes but never three hours.**

**Finishing her food quickly, Kagome placed the take-out container in the trash and headed to the second story of the house. If she was going to sleep, she was going to need a room. When she reached the top of the stairs she looked to the left and then to the right. Ahead of her the stairs continued on to an attic-like room. Her mother had told her to steer clear of it because the floor boards may not be safe. Kagome sighed at the thought of her mother's request. It wasn't as if she would actually want to go into a musty old attic, anyway. What could possibly be up there that would interest her? **

**Deciding that the right hall would be a better place to look for a room, she headed in that direction. Sota and her mother had chosen rooms on the left side of the hall, she didn't want to assign herself a life deprived of sleep, so it was best to be as far away from them as possible. There were three doors on this side particular side of the short hallway. One, resided on the right hand side of the hall about halfway to the end. The other two rested opposite each other at the very end of the hall. **

**Kagome approached the right hand door at the end of the hall. There was nothing unusual about it. Grasping the silver colored handle in on of her hands she twisted until the door opened to her. There were two windows. One faced out from the side of the house, the other from the back. There was an old mattress and bed frame in the middle of the room. The head of the bed rested against the back window. It would seem that the previous owners of the house had neglected to clear out this space, for different pieces of furniture still littered the scene. There was a tall wooden dresser opposite of the bed and a small nightstand next to it. On top of the nightstand rested a small lamp that looked as though it had not been used in years. Cobwebs decorated the lampshade and the corner above it. The entire room was a mess. Deciding that this wasn't the room for her, Kagome proceeded to leave. However, before she could leave, she felt something behind her. It was the same sort of pressuring presence that demanded her to turn around. Obeying, Kagome positioned herself so that she was facing what a moment ago had been behind her. But there was nothing. No one. There was no boy. **

**Quietly she closed the door behind her. She had been sure that there was something there. Shrugging it off, she entered the room opposite the one she had just exited. When she stepped inside, the first thing that greeted her was emptiness. There was absolutely nothing in the room. Unlike the previous room, there was no dresser, or furnishings of any kind. It was completely empty. Though it was strange, Kagome decided that it being empty was a good thing. It meant that the space was her to work with. There was a closet, one window, and pure white walls. It was officially her space now, her room.**

**Kagome made quick work of the chores. In less than two hours she had dusted, removed cobwebs, swept, and gave the windows a good scrub down, not to mention haul up a few of her already unpacked possessions. By the time she was done, she was ready for a good night's sleep. The only problem was that she had no bed. Kagome had not even carpet to comfort her tired back. Her floor was made of cold, hard wood. The best solution to her predicament would be to compose a makeshift bed, and that was exactly what she planned to do. **

**Hurriedly, Kagome made her way downstairs and over to the boxes of still unpacked items that lay scattered about the living room. With a sigh, she set out to opening them one by one. As organized as her mother was, somehow she had managed to forget to label the boxes. This was a shame because it would have been nice not to have to work so hard just so she could sleep. Never-the-less, she pressed on. Box, after box, Kagome was disappointed. With each failure, she felt her annoyance grow. How hard was it to label a package, she wondered. **

**At the site of only two unopened boxes left, Kagome heaved a sigh of relief. The blankets had to be in one of them. Quickly she reached for the box nearest her. It felt cold under her fingers, just as all the others had, she prayed that this one would be different. Indeed it was, when she peeled back the flaps of the box it revealed the blankets she had been looking for. **

**"Finally" Kagome mumbled under her breath.**

**Happy at the promising chance of sleep, Kagome headed for the stairs, but stopped suddenly when she reached their starting point. There, at the top of the stairs was the boy she had seen earlier. This time he didn't look as hard to see. Hastily she dropped the blankets and darted up the stairs. Unfortunately, unlike their last encounter, the boy did not stay still. His eyes widened in realization as he saw Kagome running at him and took off down the hall toward Kagome's room. Kagome followed closely behind him. It hadn't occurred to her that it was strange to have an unknown boy in her house. This was probably due to the fact that she already had her suspicions as to whether he was a normal boy or not.**

**I have him, Kagome thought as she watched the boy race into her bedroom. It would only be a small matter of time now before she got her answers out of him. But to her surprise, when she thrust open her bedroom door there was no boy. There was no translucent form to be seen anywhere. This puzzled her greatly until she heard a rustling noise emitting from her closet. Hurriedly she raced to her closer door and ripped it open. But, just as before, there was no one. As she was sliding her closet closed she herd the noises again, but they didn't sound like they were coming from inside the closet, they were coming from the ceiling directly above her room. There could only be one explanation.**

**Kagome spun around and slammed her closet open. Quickly climbed onto it's lone shelf and pressed her hands to it's roof. A few moments later she was pushing up a peice of the ceiling. This, apparently was the real attic. She hoisted herself out from her closet and surveyed the area. It was small and dark. She could barely see a thing- not that there was much to see. The space was small, and contained no windows. Across from her she could see someone...something.**

**Slowly, and cautiously she made her way over to the far wall. The thing didn't move. She reached a hand out to touch it, but there was still no reaction. She hesitated for a moment before pressing her fingers lightly to whatever the object was. Once again, it did not move. **

**To Kagome's surprise, something tapped her from behind. She quickly spun around, but all she could do was scream. She was definitely not alone. Whatever she had touched had not been alive, but there was no doubt in her mind that the creature she was confronting now was.**


	3. III

Kagome could not see. She knew that there was something in front of her, but her eyes would not see properly in the darkness of the hidden attic. The being in front of her did not move toward her. It stood there in light's abscence, unmoving, oblivious to the fact the she was terrified. The air between them was thick and musty. The walls seemed to be closing in from either side making it harder to keep herself and the creature seperate.

Thoughts raced through Kagome's mind blindly. This house was not her house, something else lived there...someone. She didn't belong here, she didn't have the right. Was she going to die? She did not wish it.

Fortunately she was pulled from her thoughts my a sudden movement in front of her. The creature stepped aside. Raising it's shadowed hand it pointed to the square in the floor where Kagome had entered.

"Leave." It screamed threateningly. "This is my house!"

Without further hesitation Kagome ran to the whole in the floor and practiaclly threw herself into it. Only a second after the ceiling panel was out back into place, and she was once again alone.

She ran. Away from her room, away from the being in the attic. She and her family had to go, had to leave before it was too late to do so. The hallway appeared to stretch endlessly before her terrified eyes. Her mind was playing tricks because of the insanity of the experience.

"Mom!" Kagome screamed as she swung open her mother's bedroom door. Boxes rangeing in size from fairly small to quite large littered the room. A bed rested in the middle of all this with a tired, yet cheerful looking Mrs. Higurashi.

"What is it, honey?"

"Mama, we have to go. There is something in my room. In my closet!"

"Kagome dear, calm down." Her mother soothed. "There is nothing in your room. We're all alone here. It's just us."

Kagome was not so easily reasured. She could not forget the sights she had seen with her own very eyes. After first she had been unsure of herslef, afraid that her vision might be misleading her, but after her encounter in the attic there could be no question.

How was she going to prove to her mother that she was wrong? That they were indeed sharing their house with...something. It seemed so impossible. There was nothing that could be said to convince her mother. If she repeated what she had witness her mother would surely believe that she was crazy. Even worse, she would want to see the new found attic, and Kagome could never allow that. It would definitely prove to her Kagome was right, but might get her killed in the process. She could never let that happen.

"Mama, please, listen to me. Can we please just go somewhere for the night. There are no lights here and it's plain creepy. Maybe I just saw something, but it would be nicer in a hotel than staying here."

Her mother looked at her skeptically. It would seem that the idea was not one she thought pleasurably of.

"Go to sleep Kagome. I'm sure whatever you saw was simply some trick of the night. Now go have a god night's rest. Today has been a tiring day."

It was an unexplained dissmissel that Kagome heard loud and clear. Oh yes, some trick of the ligh, she thought sourly. I didn't know that light could looks like boys and frighten people.

Not knowing exactly what she was going to do next, Kagome made her way to the kitchen. Maybe a cold glass of milk would help sooth or sommersaulting nerves. There was no refrigerater, so, sadly, Kagome had to settle for some bottled water. After she had comsumed as much of the water as her pleasure would allow, she set the bottle on the table and left it as she ventured toward the living room.

As of NOW this story is on Haitas (or however you spell it) until I can regain my literary abilities. The loss of them is due to the fact that I had not the chance to go to the library over the summer so my fantastic vocaculrary skills have been drained from my very straved for information and learning mind. I have been in school now for almost two weeks so I should be fine in a few more or so. However, I cannot say for sure that I will continue this story that I have so recklessly started. For those of you who come upon this new short chapter, please review in the hope that it will not be this story's last. Thank you, Arigato, Gamhamnida!


	4. Trance of the Ears

Kagome, in a strange way, wanted to know more of what she had seen in the hidden attic. If she were to say that she wasn't afraid she would be making the most complex understatement of her life. There was no way she could not be afraid. She had seen and definitely heard something horrifying her attic, but what was it doing there? And what about the boy she had seen in the library? Where had he come from? It did not seem likely that he was the one responsible for startling her so. Briefly Kagome wondered if she should go back to her room, but soon thought better of it.

"EEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Water dripped from Kagome's hair. To an unsuspecting onlooker it would appear as if she had just returned from a nice safe and relaxing shower. Twisting around to face the opposite direction Kagome let out another shriek. She, being the knowing older sister that she was had been ready to wrap her hands around the neck of her conniving little brother, Sota, but he was nowhere to be seen. In place of Sota stood, or floated rather, a currently empty water bottle. What surprised Kagome most, however, was not the impossible sight before her, but the sounds of laughter emanating from nearby.

"Not too bright. I actually thought you could see me." The last few words sounded almost deflated, as if the ones before it were somehow hopeful.

"Who are you?" Kagome voice shook with fear and she steadily began to retreat toward the front door.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" The voice snickered at it's own sarcastic words.  
There was a cocky attitude in the voice that forced Kagome's mind to relax.

"Are you the boy I saw in the library?"

"Try _my_ library."

"No need to be rude. I was just asking. What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Me? _I_ live here. What are _you_ doing here?"

"This is my house!"

"What are you, dense? This is _my_ house!"  
This ghost was really beginning to get on her nerves. Who was he to tell her that her house wasn't her house? After all, he was dead.

"You're dead! You can't tell me what to do!" She was sure this would win her the argument. The boy before her was clearly a ghost. Just because he could pick up a water bottle and squirt her with it didn't mean that he could actually hurt her.

Slowly the boy materialized before her. He was flexing his...claws?

"You wanna bet that I can't touch you? Well let me tell you something," His eyes flashed with what Kagome was sure was sheer anticipation of the sight her mangled body would make. "Your dead wrong!" The boy lunged for her with all the poise and grace of a practiced attacker. Nothing could stop him...

"Eeck!"

Startled, the ghost boy stopped in mid step as he had been about to launch himself at her once again. The reason for his pause was the scene of Kagome pointing at him. She stood a mere few feet away from him with her finger pointed straight at him, or rather at his head. As his gaze traveled the invisible path her outstretched finger cleared he soon realized what she was looking at.

"You have...dog ears." Kagome looked in awe at the two little triangular ears placed neatly on his head. They did, indeed, appear to be the ears that one would normally see belonging to a dog.

"Got a problem with that?" They boy spat in disgust.

"Not...really." Kagome said breathlessly. His ears were so cute, she thought. If only she could just touch them, give them a feel to see if they were real. Then maybe her sudden stare would fall away.

"Then quit lookin' !" He looked at her with such intensity that she wanted to just turn her gaze away, but she couldn't. His hears seemed to pull her to them. She needed to know if they were soft, if they felt like dog a real dog's ears. Ever so slowly she stepped tentatively towards him. Each step, to her, feeling more perilous than the last. Had he not been ready to attack her just moments ago? What if he turned on her again? These questions Kagome's mind ignored. It was filled with a fog that couldn't be lifted by anything except the ears of the mysterious ghost boy she had found in her house.

As she approached him. his eyes grew wide. "What are you doing!" There was a feverish fear-like quality to his voice. It was no longer terrifying, but fearful instead.

A/N

Sorry guys. Update is short. I was almost planning to drop this fic, but decided not to. A certain someone doesn't want me to. Updates will most likely be short and whenever I feel like it. So don't expect anything regular! R and R! Bye!


	5. Hilarious or Not?

Without the least bit of caution, Kagome continued to approach the ghost boy before her. Her hand stretched before her, in what appeared to the boy, a menacing way.

"What are you doing!" He shouted again, more anxious this time. What was it that this girl planned to do with her bare hands? She couldn't kill him because he was already dead. Though if he had been alive he would kill her before she even had the chance to attack him. As she came closer his senses calmed and he readies himself for another attack. If this foolish girl though she could take him down, she was sorely mistaken. How could she harm he who was dead? It was simple, she couldn't, but he could hurt her. He could tear her limb from limb with ease, or claw out her heart with his own hands. He didn't really plan on doing either of those things, but she didn't know that. Of course, he wasn't about to tell her that. She was the first person who had ever been able to see him and he wasn't about to give up the power he held over. As long as she didn't know that he didn't plan to kill her he could have some fun.

The boy lunged for the girl, but found that it was too late to begin his attack. There she stood, not showing the least bit of fear, right in front of him. Her face was mere inches from his and this fact made him uneasy. Though in all truth, this was the least of his problems. It took him nearly no time at all to see that her hands her reaching toward the ears on his head, her fingers poised to grab them as soon as they got the chance. Nu-uh. No way was she even going to touch any part of him, let alone his ears.

With a dumbfounded look upon his face, he stumbled backwards and rammed into the kitchen table behind him...or rather he fell through it.

Without thinking, Kagome rushed forward to grab onto his hand, trying to prevent his fall. Unfortunately for Kagome, she had forgotten for a split second that the boy was a ghost. It, sadly, never...ever, occurred to her that he would fall right through the table instead of into it. Due to the absence of these thoughts, Kagome stumble forward, quickly thrusting herself forward. Instead of catching hold of the boy's hand, her face connected with the hard wooden table surface and she fell back. With a rather hard thud she landing on the dining room floor. She simply laid there, not caring to move. The pain where her stomach had hit the side of the table was unbearable and she could feel the blood running down from her hopefully unbroken nose. Through all of her pain, and this caused Kagome to become very angry, she could her laughter. A laughter that resonated of the wall of her home and into her ears.

In one sudden motion Kagome flung herself from the floor and stormed her way over to the ghostly boy who now crouched at the opposite end of her kitchen table. His face was contorted in, what Kagome found to be, irritatingly rude laughter.

"How is this funny!" She screamed at the boy before her. "Does it look like it doesn't hurt!"

Looking to her with an amused smirk the boy replied , "It looks like it hurts a lot."

"Err- you! How can you-how could you-ahh!" She threw her hands up in a sign of complete and utter frustration. "I give up!" She screamed. "You," She pointed an accusing finger at him. "Leave me alone! Just leave me alone! This may be _your_ house, but _your_ dead. So. It. Does. Not. Mat-ter." With that she turned away and huffed up the stairs and out of the boy's sight.

A/N

Sorry about the REALLY, REALLY short chapter.

I told you guys not to expect really longs ones because I just don't have the time, and sadly, nor the patience to write them. I'll try to update regularly from now on. I have two other stories I'm currently working on and a lot of ideas swirling in my head that I want to get working with. I try to be sure to update once a week at least. Oh! Don't worry, I'm almost completely sure that I'll update this story again tomorrow. So bye! Review please! D


	6. Only You

It was late in the night when Kagome heard a creaking noise coming from the inside of her closet. Immediately alarmed, she pulled her covers up to her chin and sank further into her bed. The creaking finally ceased after just a few moments and Kagome let out the fearful breath she'd been holding.

Then she heard her closet door slowly sliding open.

Frightened, Kagome pulled herself up into the corner of her bed and pressed her back against the wall behind her. She could feel the cool breeze from outside seeping through the wall and into her skin, but at this point in time her body temperature was the least of her problems. As the closet door reach half open, Kagome squeezed her eyes tightly shut and prayed that she would live to see the light of the morning.

"It's just the house settling." She said quietly to herself, not wanted to attract the immediate attention of the thing inside her closet.

"This house is over thirty years old- it's settled."

Kagome suppressed the urge to scream that was welling up in her throat and whipped her head to look at the end of her bed. To her surprise...and utter delight, she found her eyes landing on the form of the ghost boy she had met earlier.

"You!" She whispered angrily, sorely wishing she could scream her frightened lungs out. "How could you scare me like that!"

"Easily." He said smirking at her cockily. "It's funny when you scream."

"But I didn't scream." She yelled indignantly.

The boy's smirk faltered and was replaced by a look of annoyance. The kind of look a child might wear when finding out that someone had eaten their candy. "I know."

Kagome rolled her eyes and clasped her hands securely before her. Anger was seeping into every muscle, every limb, every thought in her head. This boy, the ghost boy who so arrogantly sat on _her_ bed, needed to be dealt with. She had never before in her life committed an act of violence, but figured that now would be a good time to break that streak. There was only one problem...and unfortunately it was one she could not find a way around.

He was dead.

As she had been well informed, she could not harm someone who was dead. It was physically impossible. This truth infuriated her.

"Can't you just leave me alone!" She screamed exasperatedly. There was absolutely nothing else she could possibly do.

"I could," The boy said, his smirk returning. "But I'm not going to. This is my house and I'm not going anywhere."

"Can't you at least pick on someone else?" Kagome asked, now feeling the tireing effects of staying up so late.

"Not really. You're the only one who can see me."

Kagome threw her head back and stared at the ceiling. "Lucky me."

This was impossible. There was just no way she could win! No way at all. What made her so special that she was the only one able to see the horribly annoying ghost boy? Who in the world hated her to an extreme such as this? Could they not have implemented a different form of punishment. Anything but this.

"Please, just leave me alone." Kagome sighed and slipped back into her bed and under the warmth and thickness of her pink comforter.

"Hey!" The boy yelled suddenly. He would leave her alone when he was good and ready...and he wasn't ready yet. "You can't just ignore me! This is my house! You have to do what I say!"

Kagome slipped her hand out from under the comforter and waved at him dismissively. "You can come back and bug me tomorrow- uh- later, but right now I need my sleep.

"Hey!" The boy yelled again. _'Who does she think she is?'_

"No." Was all Kagome said before turning her back to him and closing her eyes.

When the light of morning finally came, Kagome was still asleep. The sun shone brightly through her window and reflected on her bedroom, showering the walls with patches of bright sunlight. Time passed slowly, and though still sleeping, Kagome was greatful. The events of the previous night had shattered the framework of her sanity and were slowly working to crumble her already weakening foundation. Though her strength was being restored, it was unfortunate for Kagome that she wasn't in a concious state. If she had been she would have seen the clawed finger turning off her alarm clock.

The ghost boy was downstairs when he heard Kagome scream. His ears perked up at the loud sound, but quickly flattened against his head at the loud noises issuing from Kagome's second-floor bedroom.

"I'm late!" He heard her screech numerous times.

...wasn't once enough?

Kagome hurried down the stairs, tripping and stumbling as she did so. She was supposed to have been at her grandfather's shrine three hours ago. Her alarm should have gone off at 7:00 a.m.! It was now 11:00 a.m. and Kagome was sure she would be severely scolded for her unpunctuality. Busily, she scurried about the kitchen, looking for anything that might be edible.

Nothing.

"I don't have time for this." Kagome groaned.

All the while, the ghost boy watched from the kitchen entrance. His eyes followed her like those of a hawk. Every moved she made, he was able to see. As she sighed with anger and confusion, his inward smirk grew larger and larger. If only Kagome had known she was feeding his ego, then maybe she would have stopped her scrambling and taken the time to abuse him verbally with the harsh words that would cut him down to size.

At the site of Kagome turning around, jacket in hand, the boy dashed out of the kitchen and into the living room closet. Carefully he cracked the sliding door open. He watched Kagome shrug on her jacket and pull a shiny silver key out of her pocket, look at it for a moment, then put it back. As she turned her back to his spying eyes, he felt confidence wash over him in endless waves. He had gotten away with it and she would never know. Thinking he was home-free, the boy stumbled back in shock as Kagome spun around to look directly at the closet door.

"I know it was you." She said, pointing an accusing finger to illustrate her point.

So much for his ego.

A/N:

Once again, I know this chapter is short. I'm finally doing some 'mager' planing for this story, and I think things will start to pick up. I'm expecting them to in the next chapter, but if they don't (my writing tends to draw out by itself) I am terribly sorry. Please review! I hope you'll also read my other stories: Dissapearance, and Together From The Inbetween. Later!


	7. Missing Memory

She had absolutely had it with that boy! Ghost or no, he had to go. The problem was-as it had always been-how could she get rid of him.

_'He's dead.' _She thought to herself. _'How do you get rid of someone who is dead?'_

Then, as is she had been struck by brilliance, the most wonderful idea came into Kagome's mind. Her grandfather is a priest, couldn't he help her out? _'Gramps will love this.'_ she thought excitedly.

No one ever believed her grandfather that his seals and wards actually worked. It wasn't that he wasn't good at what he did-not that Kagome actually knew, but he didn't get a lot of publicity. People were not exactly running to the shrine to buy his spell so that their lives would be saved from the burden of blood-thirsty demons. She would take her chances though, anything was worth a shot.

She was still so angry about him turning off her alarm clock. It had taken her a moment before it donned on her why she hadn't woken up on time. At some point during her not so gratifying slumber, a certain ghost boy had viciously switched her alarm clock to the off position. She imagined his face as his claw pushed the small button towards the small print that read: Off. He would have been grinning, eyes igniting with the pleasure of knowing the agony he would inflict upon her. She could see all of this, and more as her anger began to surface and spread through her entire body. Soon she found herself throwing that alarm clock at his face. It smacked the side of his cheek, leaving a red imprint where it had struck. He would be so speechless. His eyes would stare back at her with the cocky anger that she had only seen from him. Of course, this was all in her mind-much to Kagome's dismay. She could never truly hit him with anything. He was dead! The resurfacing of this simple fact only served to make her angrier.

As the day wore on, Kagome found herself so busy with the chores she had been given that she almost forgot to slip some of her grandfather's ofudas into her pocket. Thankfully, her mother had offered to let her end her duties early, giving Kagome the perfect chance to waltz into her grandfather's house. She didn't really feel that bad taking them. It wasn't as if she was stealing. After all, she was the mans' granddaughter. He would be happy to help her out.

When night fell Kagome and the rest of the family waved goodbye cheerfully to her grandfather, then started on the way home. Their new house was only a few blocks away, it wouldn't take that long to get home.

Kagome sighed, a hint as to how tired she was. Moving boxes of old relics, shining brittle swords, and redecorating her grandfather's entire house with brand new ofudas was quite a task. The air surrounding the three family members was cold and caused their breath to spew in misty white clouds from their icily bitter lips. Kagome was glad she had remembered to bring her jacket with her before storming out of the house that morning.

"Kagome dear?"

Kagome turned to the sound of her mother's voice and stared questioningly at her. "What is it mama?"

"Why were you late today? I know you know you were supposed to meet us at your grandfathers' an hour after we got there. What happened?" As her mother spoke, she sounded happy and cheerful. Her voice held no anger, only curiosity.

"My alarm clock didn't go off, mama." Kagome stated simply. After all, it was the truth. She just didn't add in the part about the ghost boy who had stopped it from sounding.

"Oh." Kagome's mother looked thoughtfully at Kagome. "I suppose we'll just have to buy you a new one then, dear."

"No, mama. It's alright. I think it will be working fine from now on."

"Are you sure, Kagome?" Her mother asked worriedly, not wanting a repeat of today.

"Yes mama, I'm sure. If it happens again you can buy me a new one."

"Alright honey."

A few minutes after the awkward questioning, Kagome saw her house come into veiw. Even though it was nearly the same size as all the others nearby, it seemed to rise above them. It's pale sides allowing the moonlight to surround it, shadowing it's corners in a mysterious shroud of darkness. The air held a mist-like quality to it and fog could be spotted at either end of the street, blocking the continuing roads from view. At the sight of this, a chill ran up Kagome's spine. Instinctively she pulled her jacket closer, trying to keep in what little warmth she could feel. The house loomed above her menacingly and she was gripped with the urge to get as far away from it as possible.

It was peculiar the way she was feeling. Why should she be afraid of her own home? There was ghost boy inhabiting it-yes, but he wasn't so bad, or so she had decided. He was indeed, annoying though, she would give him that. So there really wasn't anything to be afraid of. Just a couple of dark corners...

_AND_ the thing in the attic...which was conveniently located above her bedroom.

That _thing_ was something she would have to deal with later- if she dealt with it at all.

Kagome looked up just in time to see her mother turning the knob of their front door. Apparently she had been thinking a little longer than she had realized. Strangely, her mother needed no key to gain entrance.

It did not take long to discover why.

The entire house had been ransacked. Over-turned boxes lay scattered about the front room. The few things that had been unpacked the night before lay strewn about the home. Anything that was breakable had been exactly that-broken. Curtains, bedspreads, pillowcases- all had been shredded to pieces and lay in tattered heaps in one place or another.

Fearing for the worst, Kagome headed to her room to survey the damage. All kinds of the thoughts raced through her head. While most would say she should have been thankful that it was not her family that had been brutally attacked, she was thinking of all the memories her possessions contained. If anything had been destroyed-which it must have- those memories would be lost forever.

With a force greater than she had meant, she flung the door open. Just like all the others, her room had been raided and demolished a heap of what was now meaningless junk. A porcelain doll with jet black hair, and a red kimono lay broken upon the floor near her bed. The sharp jagged pieces of a lamp spread out in the middle of the room next to a shredded pillow sham and comforter. Her closet, as she now saw, had been left untouched-which did her no good in the least because all of her clothes had still been packed. Now they lay, torn to pieces about the floor, the majority strewn across what was once her bed.

None of these thing, however, mattered. The only thing that Kagome cared about was something others would have considered childish. Underneath her pillow she kept a very special picture, one that brought both joy and sorrow to her heart. Even last night- the first night in her new home, she had not forgotten to place the photograph beneath the fabric of her pillow case. Not a day had passed since she was young had she slept without that picture.

Fearful of what she might see, Kagome approached her bed and reached for the lump that was her pillow. Cautiously, and somewhat hesitantly, she felt for the photo she prayed was there.

**It wasn't.**

A/N:

Yeah, I know. Once again, it was short. I know the developement would seem cleaner if I were to write longer chapters, but I just can't seem to with this story. I feel that the way I worded Kagome's despair of the abscence of the picture, and her feelings leading up to the discovery was very weak. I have to admit that just sort of cranked this chapter out mechanically because I will be grounded until April 20, 2006 starting this coming Monday. I wanted to put something out for you guys to read and review. Please don't hate me. Oh! Bye the way...you should all go and buy/rent RENT. It was the most awesome movie ever! **Idina Menzel **was radtacular! **Wicked** lover


	8. Words of an Apology

The most special possession she had ever come to own was gone. It was impossible wasn't it? A ghost in her new home, a monster in the attic, and now this. She screamed. Why did it have to happen to her? Who was that ghost to play games with her. He had done this, she was positive. He would pay for it too somehow.

She searched everywhere. Her bedroom, her mother's bedroom, her brother's room, and everywhere else in the house. If she could only just find the pieces that would be enough. She could keep them like she had the picture. Her rampage ended in the living room. She overturned anything that had been left standing up right, but still there was nothing. It was gone.

She walked to the kitchen hoping to find a glass that wasn't broken. Unfortunately for her Mr. Ghost Boy had been too thorough and smashed everything. Oh well, she though. Should I have expected anything else? It was a simple question but she decided not to answer it just the same. It would only serve to make her feel even worse. Standing in front of the sink she looked out the window above it, wondering at how things had turned out this way. After a minute or two she turned the faucet on and splashed some cold water on her face. It was nice to have running water and electricity.

Slowly she turned the water off and wish an anguished cry through herself against the refrigerator. It was too hard to do nothing, but that was all she was capable of doing. Someone had ruined her home, destroyed anything and everything whether it was of value or not, and she knew exactly who it was. It was a shame she could do not a thing about it. She cried hard, and she cried strong. She slid to the floor and hugged her knees as she let the warm wetness slide down her cheeks. Everything was a mess now.

"What's your problem?"

Kagome jerked her head up to address the voice which had just spoken. Who was that ghost to think he could return to the seen of the crime…_his_ crime. Had all of his intelligence died with his body?

"You should know you self-centered inconsiderate jerk! You ruined everything!" She screamed.

Looking thoughtful, the boy rested his hands his hands on the refrigerator above her. "I don't think I know what you're talking about." He said slyly yet seemingly innocent.

"Who are you to ruin other people's belongings?" She began yelling again. "Who are you to tell me to leave my own home? Who are you to ruin my life!" Kagome couldn't keep looking at his smug face. He knew what he had done and refused to own up to it. Who was he to have such control?

**She started to cry again**.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked between sobs. "What's so bad about sharing this house with a few people?" She wiped her face and eyes with her sleeve as the more tears appeared.

The boy leaned back and watched her. He hadn't meant to make her cry. He thought she would have been angry not sad. Sure it would be a pain, but everything he had destroyed could be replaced. The food, the furniture, everything.

"What's the big deal?" He asked casually. "Everything can be replaced. I was only trying to scare you, but unfortunately for me it didn't work."

"Trying to scare?" Kagome shrieked, "You ruined our food, broke our furniture, shredded our clothing and you say it's no big deal? What kind of monster are you?"

**Monster **

That was something he had not been called in a long time. The times when he was were not ones he wanted to remember. A monster was not what he was…or was it? Could there have been another way to make the girl and her family leave? Probably.

"Hey." He said sitting next to Kagome. "Don't cry OK? I'm sorry."

"You should be." was all she said in return.

"Don't get mad. Whatever it was you can replace so suck it up."

"Suck it up?" she said quietly. "How do I replace my father?"

"Hey!" The boy said while jumping to his feet. "I never killed anybody!"

"I know." She said gently. "But you ruined his picture. It was the only one I had and it's gone now."

With those words the boy could no longer look at her. How could he have done such a thing?

"I'm sorry." He said gruffly, and before Kagome could look up he was gone.

A/N:

I'm sorry that this was so short. I had a request for an update so I decided to fulfill that request. I'm sorry that I have such little time for fan fiction these days. I have a lot of issues in my life that need to be resolved and I'm steadily working on that. Some of them have been taken care of though. J I'll try to update this story regularly, but I don't know about my other stories. Most of them aren't that good. I just cranked 'em out 'cause I had nothing else to do. We'll see how things work out. Enjoy this chapter if you can! L


	9. Who's the boy?

The next few days passed without incident. There was no sign of the ghost boy. Kagome tried to recall if she had ever learned his name, but couldn't remember. At night when she had finished brushing her hair and cleaning her teeth she would lay down to sleep. Her hand would unconsciously reach for the photograph beneath her pillow that her mind knew was not there. Her fingers would move to touch the corners of it expecting to glide over the picture's smooth surface. A peaceful sleep was always started with worry at the loss of the precious family photo. She would toss for side to side a few times, stretch an arm under her pillow, then curl into her comforter and fall prey to rest.

Kagome went everyday with her brother and mother to help her grandfather at the shrine. She neglected to ask him about the ghost boy, and kept up her normal chores. She would dust and sweep the house while her mother worked in the storerooms.

On a particularly dreary and sure to be raining day Kagome discovered that she was not feeling quite as well as she knew she should be. No matter where she went, even outdoors, she felt hot. After a quick conversation with her mother Kagome was sent home. Though glad for the rest she was a bit disappointed that she was forced to walk home. The house wasn't far away from the shrine so she, Sota, and her mother walked there every morning. She rounded the corner onto her street and walked quickly to her house. She walked through the lawn and onto the porch, sitting down for a bit of much needed breath-catching.

Through the living room window the ghost boy watched her.

Ask Kagome retrieved the house keys from her pocket she glanced around, looking at the sky and the homes surrounding her own. She slid the small silver key into the doorknob and turned into so she could gain entrance inside. She walked into the house she rushed up the stairs into her bedroom. Not bothering to change she slipped her coat off and fell into a dreamless sleep.

When she awoke it was dark and the night sky could be seen from her bedroom window. The stars were covered by dark clouds so they appeared to be missing. In truth they were resting just beyond the clouds and their darkness.

Kagome slowly sat up and brushed her hair out of her face. It would seem that it possessed a mind of it's own while she was not awake. It stuck out in places here and there but who was she to care? No one was going to see her except her family. Her feet padded across the floor as she crossed the room to her door. As she reached for the doorknob she realized that she couldn't hear anyone else in the house. No sounds of her brother watching television nor any of her mother cooking. That's strange, she thought, they should be home by now.

Shrugging it off as not important, she proceeded down the stairs, through the living room and into the kitchen. She hadn't eaten since breakfast having been sent home before lunch, so needless to say she was hungry. Of course, as she remembered, there was no food. The ghost boy had destroyed everything edible in sight. Her mother had bought a few things since then but nothing that could be eaten for a real meal.

As Kagome had expected, her mother had been curious as to why the house was such a mess that night. Thinking of no explanation Kagome had simply said that someone must have broken in and decided that there was nothing of value to take. She seemed to believe the story well enough and phone the police right after their conversation to report it. Kagome felt bad for lying to her mother, but it wasn't a complete lie by any means. That boy had ruined their home because he refused to leave. In a way that was kind of like breaking in. Now if only he would break out, she had thought irritably.

Seeing as how there was nothing in the kitchen to feed her hungry stomach, Kagome decided to buy something herself. She had a little bit of money so she could at least feed herself. Her mother and brother were one their own. She grabbed her coat from her room, checked the pocket for her cash. Satisfied at the ruffle of paper against her fingertips she headed back downstairs. She reached for the knob to pull open the front door when she heard a voice emit from somewhere behind her. It would seem that was happening a lot lately.

"You shouldn't go out at night." It was the ghost boy. "It isn't safe."

Slowly Kagome turned to face him while sighing. Her plans just went out the window. "Who are you to tell me what to do?" She asked impatiently.

"Inu-Yasha."

"Well Inu-Yasha, I'm not listening to you. It's your fault I have to leave because you destroyed all my food! Or don't you remember?" Her eyes shot daggers into his chest and face. She swore that if she had the power to kill he would be more dead then he was now.

"I said I was sorry what more do you want from me Kagome?"

Kagome's eyes grew large at the mention of her own name. How did he--

"Get that stupid looking off your face, it's depressing. I live here! Of course I know your name, or did _you_ forget?" He smiled smugly at turning her own words against her.

"How could I forget! You've turned every minute I spend in this house into a nightmare!"

"You know," Inu-Yasha said while placing a finger to his lips, feigning thought. "It would be a lot easier for you if you just left."

"No. I don't think I will. Once I figure out how to get rid of you I'm sure things will brighten up!" She was trying to contain her anger, but the feelings kept arriving in her mind and bursting forth from her mouth.

"Good luck with that."

Deciding not to dignify his words with a response she turned promptly and left.

It was dark outside and for a moment Kagome considered heading back into the house. Though only problem with that scenario was that she would be following Inu-Yasha's advice. That was one thing she was not going to do.

"It's gonna be alright." She whispered, trying to assure herself. "The store's only a couple blocks away.

She took a deep breath and gingerly set one foot down after the other. It wasn't so bad, she convinced herself. No one was going to mug her, or stab her…or kidnap her. She was a regular girl walking around at night…in the dark. 'Oh it's useless! I just have to get this over with.'

By the time she reached the corner store she was sure her sanity was two seconds from gone. Every creak she heard, every crunch was someone trying to sneak up behind her. At least that's what she had convinced herself. There were a few people in the store not including the man at the counter. A few guys were looking at the magazine rack, another browsing for a beverage. Kagome made her way to the snack isle and grabbed a couple packs of instant noodles. That would be enough to last her a day or two. She continued down the isle looking for anything else she might need. When she came to the candy rack felt as though she was going to cry. The chocolates were calling out to her and it had been so long. What could it hurt? Quickly she counted the money in her coat pocket. Just the right amount. She grabbed a handful of candy bars and made her way to the counter.

There was only one person in front of her which was probably a good thing. Her arms struggled to hold the candy and ramen. Hadn't this place every heard of baskets? Unfortunately for Kagome she wasn't going to need one. A second after processing her complaint she felt something smack into her and she lurched forward. Everything spilled onto the floor and Kagome landed on top of it.

"Sorry." The girls she'd seen earlier sniggered as they walked away.

**Sure you are**, Kagome thought.

"Need some help?"

Kagome glanced up and met the eyes of a boy her own age. He held his hand out to her and she accepted it. His hair was short, but in a tasteful kind of way. His eyes were brown like everyone else in Japan, and he wore khaki pants and a light blue shirt. Overall he seemed normal.

"Thanks." Kagome said cheerfully, responding to the smile on his face.

"No problem." The boy said. "My name is Miroku."

"I'm Kagome. I just moved to this part of town. My grandfather owns the shrine a few blocks from here."

"I know it." Miroku replied, his eyes taking in her features as she had taken in his. "So you live there then?"

"No, but that's the reason we moved here. This way we can help him out."

"That's very kind of you. I bet he appreciates it very much."

"Yeah." Kagome said. "Well I better pay for these." She indicated the items scattered about the floor. She and Miroku bent down to retrieve them.

After she had paid for the food she noticed Miroku standing by the doors. He glanced up at her as she walked towards him. "I've decided to accompany you home Kagome. It's too dangerous for a nice girl such as yourself to be walking around at this hour."

"You don't have to." Kagome said modestly. "I'll be fine."

"Oh no I insist. What harm could it possibly do?" His eyes locked with hers and she smiled.

"Not much I suppose. Alright." They left the store together.

The plastic bad containing the items she'd bought slapped against the side of her leg as she walked. Miroku walked beside her. When they reached her home Miroku accompanied her to the door. He held the bag of groceries as she dug the house key from her pocket.

"Good night." Kagome said as she slipped inside.

"Good night." Miroku responded as he turned to leave.

After having cooked the ramen and tucking the precious candy neatly away she readied herself for bed. She brushed her teeth, showered, and combed her hair. With all of her usual ablutions out of the way she was free to rest. There had been a message on the answering machine informing her that her mother and Sota were spending the night at her grandfather's house. Kagome had smiled at the news. There would be no video games tonight! Nothing to stop her from sleeping peacefully…or so she thought.

She slid into the comfort of her bed, and wrapped her new blankets around her. She closed her eyes, hummed a tune she'd heard at the corner store, then turned over as if asleep. However, she was not and it wasn't long before she felt pressure being applied to the end of her bed. It was as if someone was sit-

Her brown eyes locked with golden ones belonging to a certain half-demon ghost she knew. **Inu-Yasha**.

"So, who's the boy?"

A/N:

I hope that's long enough. I know not much happened, but I did introduce another character. Please tell me what you think. It seems that many people thought if would just be Inu-Yasha and Kagome. Too bad for them it isn't so. What do you all think of **Miroku**?


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